Disclaimer: I do NOT own anything Twilight. All rights belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.

WARNING: This story is rated M because it contains mature content (I.E. SLASH, bad language, etc.), that is not appropriate for minor viewers. If this offends you please discontinue your reading of this story.

A/N: Hello my lovely readers! So this story has been floating around in my head for some time and I've FINALLY had time to play it out. I've never written this type of story before so this is all new territory! I hope that it is well received and enjoyed by you all!

"That's it. I'm done. Get out." I ground out as I, with a shaking hand, pointed to the door.

James looked at me from his space on our bed... MY bed... his lithe nude body still tangled in the forever-tainted sheets. He smiled at me, and shook his head with a slight laugh.

"Oh get over yourself Edward." He replied smoothly, reaching over into the nightstand to pull out a pack of smokes. I felt myself getting more agitated as I watched him. Where the hell did those come from?... He swore to me, he had quit.

Just another lie... like all the rest of it.

"You know you don't mean that."

"Like hell I don't." I spat watching him pound the pack, picking out a long cigarette, and placing it between his deceitful lips. He grabbed a lighter from inside the half empty case and brought it up towards his smoke.

"Don't you dare." He glanced up at me at my warning and, holding my gaze, sparked the flame and lit it.

I closed my eyes in disgust.

Disgust for him... for myself.

How did it get like this? I was supposed to be happy... madly in love with someone who loved me in return. Instead I was trapped here, looking in the empty eyes of someone who doesn't care about me. Someone who says hollow words I used to believe.

Walking in on him with another man in my bed... again... was the last I could take. He didn't even attempt to look contrite.

He took a long drag of the filthy commodity, and blew out a translucent stream of smoke. I bit back the bile that rose in my throat at the thought of the smell leeching itself into the walls.

"Come on baby. It's no big deal. You'll get over it, you always do."

My voice shook as I replied. "No... not this time. Get. OUT."

He didn't move, just continued to smoke his cigarette, watching.

"I said get out, you lying... cheating... fucking bastard son-of-a-bitch!"

His eyes flashed angrily at my heated words and he stood from the bed, putting out his cigarette on the polished wood of the nightstand. But before I could start to yell about my now ruined furniture, he had strode over to me and roughly grabbed hold of my arm.

"Now I know you didn't mean to call me such names Edward." His voice was soft and saturated with warning.

No... this wasn't going to work on me this time... I was done... and he's going to leave.

"Let go of me." He didn't.

I tried to jerk myself from his grasp but I couldn't, so drawing myself up to my full height I looked him square in the eyes, and slapped him across the face.

For a moment he was stunned, looking at me with wide, surprised eyes. But his shock wore off quickly and, letting go of my arm, he hit my cheek so hard I lost my balance and tumbled to the floor.

I tasted the bitter copper tang of blood in my mouth, from my teeth biting into the tender flesh of my inner cheek with the blow. I had also banged my shoulder against my guitar amp on the fall to the floor, where I landed hard on my elbow.

I laid still for a minute, hissing slightly at the pain before I sat up where I had fallen on the floor. I was shocked. As big as an asshole he was and as much hurt as he put me through, I never, ever, imagined that he would use force on me like that. To hit me hard enough to knock me down... to draw blood.

The room was eerily quiet as I absorbed what had just transpired, again asking myself how it came to this... how I got here. James hadn't moved a muscle since I hit the floor... not even to try to help me up.

I spotted his jeans, just in arms reach, as my eyes began to fill. I leaned over and grabbed them, throwing them at him, but keeping my face turned away from him. I refused to let him see the tears in my eyes.

He caught them, but only just, and continued to stand silently another moment.

"Edward..." He began softly, his voice apologetic.

"Don't." I cut him off with a harsh whisper. I wouldn't let him bring me in again with meaningless apologies this time. "Just get out, and don't... don't come back."

He shifted his body towards mine, but froze as he saw me stiffen at the movement. He tried again. "Edw–"

"Get out or I'm calling the police." I interjected, trying to keep my voice from trembling. "I mean it."

He huffed, but didn't attempt to speak again. I watched from the corner of my eye as he tugged on his jeans and walked to the nightstand to grab his wallet, phone, keys and those damn cigarettes. As he stepped to the bedroom door to leave I called out softly.

"The key."

He froze. I could practically feel the anger radiating from him as he stood rigid in the doorway, one hand poised on the doorknob. After stewing silently for a moment, he dug out his keys roughly from his pocket. He tugged at the key in an angry huff, his frustration making it difficult to remove from the ring. When he finally succeeded, he threw it, with a little too much force, towards the nightstand and stalked out the door, slamming it closed behind him.

But it wasn't until I heard the door of the apartment bang shut that I released the breath I didn't even know I was holding.

And with that expelled puff of air I felt myself deflate, and slowly sink into a deep pool of desolation.

A/N: WHEW! Well there it is! Chapter one! It's a bit short because I originally planned to write this as a one shot, but it spun wildly into something more, as stories often do. This seemed to be the best place to section off a chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it! I know it's pretty angsty right now but I'd really love to hear what you all think!